The proposed study will examine the effect of environmental context, individual characteristics and their interrelationships on adolescent delinquency. In order to tackle social area and individual level effects sampling will be done in two stages. First, on the basis of our aggregate level analysis, 8 - 12 areas will be selected so as to maximize between area variability on dimensions related to rates of delinquency/criminality. At the second stage, a stratified sample of 50 to 75 adolescent boys age 11 - 16 will be drawn from each of the areas. Data on the total sample of 600 boys will be collected in an interview with the adolescent, a separate interview with the adolescent's mother, a checklist completed by the teacher and a search of official records. Using information on social area characteristics (both census and survey reported), school characteristics, familial environment, school adjustment and child behavior, several objectives will be focal: (1) To identify those aspects of social areas which are related to level and type of delinquency; (2) To assess the interrelationship of area and individual effects -- that is, whether area effects (a) are accounted for by individual level relationships, or (b) have an independent additive effect, or (c) moderate the effect of individual level characteristics; (3) An attempt will be made to examine the tenability of several theoretical models which postulate alternative causal processes -- control theory, subcultural theory (with emphasis on differential association), and a more extended model which considers both the effect of social context and individual selection.